Football
by Angel of Fire SG1
Summary: Yes this was a typical argument on Atlantis. The true meaning of the word "football"...(SheppardWeir)


**Title: **_Football __  
_**Rating: **_G__  
_**Pairings: **_Sheppard/Weir__  
_**Author: **_Angel of Fire SG1__  
_**Disclaimer: **_Not mine_

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**Football**

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Yes this was a typical argument on Atlantis. The true meaning of the word "football". Major John Sheppard stood by his argument that European 'football' was called soccer everywhere else in the world and they should conform to the rest of the world. They refused to listen to him...of course.

His biggest problem was the Australians. They, being a very small minority on Atlantis, had _two_ forms of football. One AFL and the other Rugby.

John was damned if he knew what AFL was...

To him American Football was the way to go.

"Who cares anyway?" Dr. Rodney McKay spoke up. "We all know Ice Hockey is the superior sport..."

A few people turned to look at him.

"Never played or seen ice hockey..." Dr Mark Brown, one of the Australians spoke up.

"You're deprived," Rodney stated, stuffing his mouth full of cake.

"Well you know...I could argue the same of you Canadians and AFL," Mark replied.

"What is that?" Rodney said, by the tone of his voice he didn't really want to know.

"The best sport ever invented," Major Trinity Rogers, Royal Australian Air Force, replied, taking a slice of cake from the center of the table.

"Oh it is not," Rodney replied.

"He's right," John replied, smirking. "It's American Football."

"Definately the original football," Dr Zelenka added in.

"Agreed," Peter Grodin said.

"OK...I have an idea," Lieutenant Aiden Ford said.

Everyone's attention turned to him.

"We have a game of each and decide which is the most fun," Aiden grinned.

Mark screwed up his face. "I'm good with soccer, but I have issues with American football and rugby..."

"What's wrong with rugby?" Dr Brianna George, the only resident Kiwi, spoke up for the first time.

"It's a Melbourne thing...I'm not allowed to like Rugby," Mark replied.

The New Zealander raised an eyebrow at him and stood up. "Well you better never move to Dunedin, its our only form of entertainment."

The rest of them also stood up slowly. All except Rodney.

"You're not coming?" John asked him.

"I don't play sport," Rodney replied.

"Oh really..." John said, grabbing the scientists arm and jerking him away from his cake and coffee. "You do today..."

Before he could protest John had pulled him out of the door and towards the only open area big enough to play football of anyform on.

* * *

John grabbed his water bottle and drank half of it in one gulp. Finally he got a break. He'd played the entire game of American football, and was halfway through their game of European football and he was tired.

Plonking himself down on the bench he wiped his face with a towel. He felt someone sit on the bench next to him and looked up.

Dr Elizabeth Weir smiled back at him. "What are you all doing?"

"Playing football..." he replied.

"Looks like soccer to me," Elizabeth stated, looking at the game in play.

"Well...it is..." John said. "But you see...there are different types of football...we're trying to decided which is the best."

"Ah," Elizabeth replied. "And of course you think American football wins..."

"Oh yeah," he replied. "We've just got rugby and AFL left..."

She looked at him in surprise. "What's AFL?"

"Aussie football..." he replied. "All those two ever talk about is sport...you think they do anything else down there?"

"Sunbake," Elizabeth smiled.

John shrugged slightly and stood up, seeing Rodney was about to collapse...again. "Better be off..."

"Oh, John, I wanted to ask you something..." she said, standing up.

"Yeah?" he asked, still watching the match carefully, waiting for Rodney to drop.

"Are you busy tonight?" she said.

He looked at her in surprise. "Well...no I guess not...why?"

"Was wondering if you wanted to...watch a movie in the TV room?" she asked.

Was she nervous? He stared at her in surprise. Was this what he thought it was? Elizabeth Weir was asking him on a date...or at least on the closest thing they could get stuck in a city in another galaxy...

"Sure," he replied, smiling back at her.

"Well good, I'll see you around 7?" she said.

"See you then!" he said.

She turned around and left. He watched her for a few seconds before he heard footsteps running up to him slowly. Rodney fell to the floor besides him.

"Your turn..." he managed to say.

John rolled his eyes at him and ran back onto the field.

* * *

"We win!" Mark shouted.

"Crazy Aussies," Brianna muttered.

"Well you voted for AFL!" Mark said.

"Only cos I knew rugby would lose anyway," the Kiwi replied.

John pulled a face. "You're all delusional...we should have won hands down..."

Grodin and Zelenka were also sulking over their loss, although soccer had come second, followed by American football and then rugby.

"Next week I say we play ice hockey," Rodney stated.

"Yeah I'll just go freeze the ocean," Trinity muttered.

"That's what I was going to say," John replied.

She grinned at him. "Beat ya...anyway...I'm off, I'll see ya all tomorrow."

John glanced at his watch. 1850. That gave him ten minutes to head back to his quarters, have a quick shower and change into slightly better smelling clothes. He did so and made it to the TV room by exactly 1900 hours.

Elizabeth was sorting through a pile of DVD's.

"Looking for something inparticular?" he asked.

"Not really..." she replied, looking over at him.

"Well then, how about we forget the movie and I teach you about football?" he said.

She narrowed her eyes at him, pursing her lips together, as she did when she was thinking hard about something.

"Come on, we won't stay out too long, it'll be in an hour, and then it gets really cold," he said.

"Why do I let you talk me into these things," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

They made their way out to the open area they'd used that afternoon. They'd decided on leaving the sports equipment there, it made a good storage place in case they ever got the urge to play football again.

"So what exactly are you going to teach me?" Elizabeth asked, staring at John as he grabbed the nearest ball out of the pile.

He looked down at his hands before looking up and smiling at Elizabeth. "Tonight...Australian."

"You can play Australian football?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well...not exactly...but I at least learnt how to kick it today," he said.

He dropped the ball to his foot and kicked it light to Elizabeth, who caught it with enough ease.

"Now you try," he said.

She dropped the ball and kicked it back to him, harder than he had. He caught it against his chest, but it knocked the air out of him slightly.

"My uncle was Australian, he taught me when I was younger," Elizabeth replied.

"So me teaching you is pointless..." John said.

"Four posts, a goal is between the two center posts - worth six points...a behind is when the ball goes between two of the outer posts..."

"Ok I get the point," John replied, placing the football back in the pile, then he paused. "Wait then why'd you ask me what AFL was earlier...?"

She grinned at him. "Was just checking you knew...come on I have a better idea..."

She turned around and began walking away. He jogged after her until he caught up and then walked next to her. The two of them headed over to the nearest balcony which looked out over the ocean towards the West, the direction the sun set in Atlantis.

"I've never seen the sun set from here," John said.

"It's beautiful," Elizabeth replied.

They stood there silently for a few moments, watching the sun slowly dip below the seemingly infinite ocean.

"Why did you ask me to come watch a movie tonight?" John asked, turning around so he leaned against the railing with one arm, facing her.

"To tell the truth? I don't know..." she said, keeping her eyes focused on the sunsetting.

He watched her as she stared out across the ocean. The light played on her face, a calmness spread across it.

"I do," he said quietly.

Her eyes slowly moved to meet his as she turned to face him slightly. Again she narrowed her eyes, this time questioningly. He looked into her eyes, hoping she could see what he felt.

"John..." she said his name so softly he barely heard it.

He placed his finger over her lips. She looked surprised for a moment before returning to her calmness. He moved his hand so it cupped the side of her face and leaned forward. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, probably the same as how she hadn't known why she'd asked him out that evening.

Her lips met his before he'd reached her. It was a soft, apprehensive kiss, as though neither of them were quite sure what they were doing or why. After a few moments Elizabeth pulled away.

"We shouldn't..." she said, avoiding looking into his eyes, but her hands remained placed on his arms.

"Why not?" he asked, surprised at the sincerity in his voice.

Now she looked up, fear in her eyes. "Because we're the leaders of Atlantis, there's something much more at stake here..."

"That's still no reason," John replied. "Stuff like this happens all the time in war Elizabeth..."

"Stuff like what?" she asked.

He looked at her for a few moments, searching her eyes, making sure it was safe to respond.

"Falling in love," he whispered.

So many emotions flashed across her face at once that he wasn't quite sure what they were. Then she moved her arms and placed them around his waist, leaning into his chest and place her head against his shoulder. He placed his arms around her and hugged her.

"I'm afraid," she said.

"Of what?" he asked.

"Everything..." she replied.

"Me too," he replied, placing a kiss on top of her head before pulling back from their embrace. "Shall we get back to Atlantis..."

She nodded.


End file.
